Motherwort helps menopausal women manage their weight

Motherwort (Leonurussibiricus), a popular functional food and medicinal herb, has been known to be beneficial for women, especially older women. In a study published in the Journal of Natural Medicines, it was found that motherwort can help menopausal women manage their weight and prevent weight gain.

Menopausal women are more likely to gain weight because of estrogen deficiency, which could induce lipid metabolic abnormalities in body fat.

Researchers from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Republic of Korea looked at the inhibitory effects of motherwort on obesity after menopause in mice.

To induce obesity, the researchers fed female ovariectomized mice with a high-fat diet for 12 weeks.

After that, they gave the mice motherwort extracts for six weeks.

The researchers, then, measured the mice’ body, uterine, and visceral fat weights as well as levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

The results revealed that the motherwort treatment significantly decreased the total body weight, visceral fat weight, and the fat infiltration of the mice’s livers.

It also reduced levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol.

In addition, it increased the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase and adipose triglyceride lipase. This indicates that motherwort could regulate lipid metabolism by increasing lipase expression.

The findings of the study indicate the motherwort could be a potential functional food to prevent weight gain after menopause.